Cub Scouts Ice Skating Sports Belt Loop and Pin

Tiger Cubs, Cub Scouts, and Webelos Scouts may complete requirements in a family, den, pack, school, or community environment. Tiger Cubs must work with their parents or adult partners. Parents and partners do not earn loops or pins.

Requirements for the Ice Skating Belt Loop

Complete these three requirements:

Explain ways to protect yourself while ice skating, and the need for proper safety equipment.

Spend at least 30 minutes practicing the skills of skating.

Go ice skating with a family member or den for at least three hours, in up to three one-hour outings. Chart your time.

Requirements for the Ice Skating Pin

Earn the Ice Skating belt loop, and complete five of the following requirements:

Participate in a pack or community ice skating event.

Demonstrate how to sharpen your skates correctly.

Demonstrate how to lace, assemble, and dissemble your skates correctly.

On two different occasions, spend at least 15 minutes practicing warm-up exercises before 30 minutes of skating.

Ice Skating Online Resources

I understand that participation is optional, but three hours of ice skating seems excessive when you consider that most of the other sport belt loops require only one game or 30 minutes of skill demonstration. Please also consider that ice time is usually limited on any rink and obtaining this belt loop can be quite pricey for those individuals who are motivated to earn it.

Mar 06, 2014 - Cindy

Explain ways to protect yourself while ice skating, and the need for proper safety equipment.
Where are the answers to this component of the Belt Loop, BSA? I have been searching forever. Helmets are not usually part of casual skating - what other safety equipment is there? How can you protect yourself while ice skating?
Do I really have to go to the U.S. Winter Sports Federation and research all this? Why can't the BSA list what they expect a Cub Scout to know with respect to these requirements?

Mar 06, 2014 - Angry Dad

It seems to me that they would be the same protective gear as skateboarding and other blade sports...wrist guards, helmet, knee pads, and elbow pads. I have seen many kids wearing wrist guards and knee pads when learning to ice skate.

Apr 11, 2014 - Karen

Our den will be working on this belt loop tomorrow. There are a lot of requirements that need to be edited on this 'loop'! As a veteran coach (23 years), I can tell you that most of this is not even feasible for an average public session skater to do.
1) Three hours of skating is WAY too much. These kids will not last for our entire 2 hour session and to require them to return and skate additional times is costly (ice time and skate rental aren't cheap).
2) Protective gear consists of gloves/mittens and a coat. We don't wear helmets ~ they cause more problems than the protection they would provide.
3) NO Scout should be demonstrating how to sharpen skates correctly and it takes YEARS of training.
4) Only skate technicians would assemble and disassemble skates (which is mounting or removing the blade).
5) The only way for a scout to play a game of ice hockey would be after many classes and joining a league.
6) Hockey skill development clinics cost a couple hundred $!